"Then you may discover, my young friend," the Baron said, putting on his hat, and turning resolutely away, "the true meaning of the word weariness. You are a fool to ask me any questions at all. We are on opposite sides. If I knew where the child was you are the last person whom I should tell. Her place is anywhere--save with you!"
He bowed and turned away, whispering as he pa.s.sed to a footman, who at once approached me. I allowed myself to be shown out. As a matter of fact, I had no alternative. But on the steps was an English servant in the Blenheim livery. I slipped half a sovereign into his hand.
"Can you tell me what time the Archd.u.c.h.ess leaves, and from what station?" I asked.
"I am not quite sure about the time, sir," the man answered, "but the "buses are ordered from Charing Cross, and they are to be here at eight to-night."
It was already past seven. I lit a cigarette and strolled on towards the station.
CHAPTER II
At Charing Cross station a strange thing happened. The Continental train arrived whilst I was sauntering about the platform, and out of it, within a few feet of me, stepped Feurgeres. He was pale and haggard, and he leaned heavily upon the arm of his servant as he stepped out of his carriage. When he saw me, however, he held out his hand and smiled.
"You expected me, then?" he exclaimed.
"Not I," I answered. "You have taken my breath away."
"I had your telegram at Brussels," he explained. "I wired St. Petersburg at once, and turned back. Any news?"
"None," I answered.
"What are you doing here?"
I told him in a few rapid words. He listened intently, nodding his head every now and then.
"The Archd.u.c.h.ess has her," he said, "and if only one of us had the ghost of a legal claim upon the child our difficulties would end. She is an unscrupulous woman, but there are things which even she dare not do.
What are they doing over there?"
He pointed to the next platform. I took him by the arm and dragged him along.
"It is the special!" I exclaimed. "We must see them start."
Red drugget was being stretched across the platform, and to my dismay the barricades were rolled across. The luggage was already in the van, and the guard was looking at his watch. Then a small brougham drove rapidly up and stopped opposite to the saloon. Baron von Leibingen descended, and was immediately followed by the Archd.u.c.h.ess. Together they helped from the carriage and across the platform a dark, tall girl, at the first sight of whom my heart began to beat wildly. Then I remembered the likeness between the cousins and what I had heard of the Princess Adelaide"s indisposition. She was almost carried into the saloon, and at the last moment she looked swiftly, almost fearfully, around her. I could scarcely contain myself. The likeness was marvellous! As the train steamed out of the station Feurgeres pushed aside the barricade and walked straight up to the station-master.
"I want a special," he said, "to catch the boat. I am Feurgeres, and I am due at Petersburg Wednesday."
The station-master shook his head.
"You can have a special, sir, in twenty minutes, but you cannot catch the boat. The one I have just sent off would never do it, but the boat has a Royal command to wait for her."
"Can"t you give me an engine which will make up the twenty minutes?"
Feurgeres asked.
"It is impossible, sir," the station-master answered. "We have not an engine built which would come within ten miles an hour of that one."
"Very good," Feurgeres said. "I will have the special, at any rate. Be so good as to give your orders at once."
"You will gain nothing if you want to get on, sir," the station-master remarked. "An ordinary train will leave here in two hours, which will catch the next boat."
"The special in twenty minutes," Feurgeres answered sharply. "Forty pounds, is it not? It is here!"
The station-master hurried away. I scarcely understood Feurgeres" haste to reach Dover. When I told him so he only laughed and led me away towards the refreshment-room. He ordered luncheon baskets to be sent out to the train, and he made me drink a brandy-and-soda. Then he took me by the arm.
"You are not much of a conspirator, my friend, Arnold Greatson," he said. "You have been within a dozen yards of Isobel within the last few minutes, and you have not recognized her."
I stopped short. That wonderful likeness flashed once more back upon my mind. Certainly in the Mordaunt Rooms it had not been so noticeable. And her eyes! I looked at Feurgeres, and he nodded.
"The Princess Adelaide either remains in England or has gone on quietly ahead," he said. "They have dressed Isobel in her clothes, and the general public could never tell the difference. You see how difficult they have made it for us to approach her. They will be hedged around like this all across the Continent. Oh, it was a very clever move!"
I scarcely answered him. My eyes were fixed upon the tangled wilderness of red and green lights, amongst which that train had disappeared. What had they done to her, these people, that she should scarcely have been able to crawl across the platform? What had they done to make her accept their bidding, and leave England without a word or message to any of us?
It had not been of her own choice, I was sure enough of that.
"Come!" Feurgeres said quietly.
I followed him to the platform, where the saloon carriage and engine were already drawn up. Feurgeres brought with him his servant and all his luggage. A few curious porters and bystanders saw us start. No one, however, manifested any particular interest in us. There was no one whose business it seemed to be to watch us.
I sat back in my corner and looked out into the darkness. Feurgeres, opposite to me, was leaning back with half-closed eyes. From his soft, regular breathing it seemed almost as though he slept. For me there was no thought of rest or sleep. I made plans only to discard them, rehea.r.s.ed speeches, appeals, threats, only to realize their hopeless ineffectiveness. And underneath it all was a dull constant pain, the pain which stays.
Our journey was about three-parts over when Feurgeres suddenly sat up in his seat, and opening his dressing-case, drew out a Continental timetable.
"In a sense that station-master was right," he remarked, turning over the leaves. "We shall not reach Paris any the sooner for taking this special train. On the other hand, we shall have time to ascertain in Dover whether our friends really have gone on to Calais, or whether they by any chance changed their minds and took the Ostend boat. I sincerely trust that that course will not have presented itself to them."
"Why?" I asked.
"Somewhere on the journey," he remarked, "they must pause. They will have to exchange Isobel for the Princess Adelaide, and make their plans for the disposal of Isobel. If they should do this, say, in Brussels, we shall be at a great disadvantage. If, however, they should stay in Paris, we should be in a different position altogether. The chief of the police is my friend. I am known there, and can command as good service as the Archd.u.c.h.ess herself. We must hope that it will be Paris. If so, we shall arrive--let me see, six hours behind them; but supposing they do break their connection, we shall have still five hours in Paris with them before they can get on. If they are cautious they will go to Illghera _via_ Brussels and their own country. If, however, they do not seriously regard the matter of pursuit they will go direct."
A few moments later we came to a standstill in the town station.
Feurgeres let down the window, and talked for a few minutes with the station-master. Then he resumed his seat.
"We will go on to the quay," he said. "It is almost certain that our friends left by the Paris boat. We shall have four hours to wait, but we can secure our cabins, and perhaps sleep."
We moved slowly on to the quay. A few enquiries there completely a.s.sured us. Midway across the Channel, plainly visible still, was a disappearing green light.
"That"s the _Marie Louise_, sir," a seaman told me. "Left here five and twenty minutes ago. The parties you were enquiring about boarded her right enough. The young lady had almost to be carried. She"s the new turbine boat, and she ought to be across in about half an hour from now."
Monsieur Feurgeres engaged the best cabin on the steamer, and his servant fitted me up a dressing-case with necessaries for the journey from his master"s ample store. Then we went into the saloon, and had some supper. Afterwards we stood upon deck watching the pa.s.sengers come on board from the train which had just arrived. Suddenly I seized Feurgeres by the arm and dragged him inside the cabin.
"The Princess Adelaide!" I exclaimed. "Look!"
We saw her distinctly from the window. She was dressed very plainly, and wore a heavy veil which she had just raised. She stood within a few feet of us, talking to the maid, who seemed to be her sole companion.
"Find my cabin, Mason," she ordered. "I shall lie down directly we start. I am always ill upon these wretched night boats. It is a most unpleasant arrangement, this."
Feurgeres looked at me and smiled.